Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Unpublished Gems: Thrill-O-Rama

Thought I would end the year showcasing some unpublished pieces and their original printed versions if available, though in this first "Unpublished Gems" installment the book was cancelled before issue #4 ever hit the stands. This "lost" cover was from one of Harvey Comics many short-lived titles, Thrill-O-Rama, illustrated by Silver Age artist Jack Sparling. The mysterious Pirana debuted two issues earlier, trying to ride the huge wave of success from DC Comics Aquaman and Marvel's savage Sub-Mariner but never really found a following. Edward Yates, an Oceanography Institute research scientist offered himself as a guinea pig in an wild experiment designed for humans to live under water. Now transformed by a freak accident, Yates could never live on land again. Trying to see the positive side of every situation, Edward decided to use his super power for good as the Pirana (should that be Piranha) fighting crime with his new fish friends, Bara and Cuda in their only two published stories in 1966. Perhaps if Harvey Comics had spelled their new hero's name correct they would have had better luck with the title?